A NEW multi-million-pound framework has been launched to provide sustainable water savings to Catholic schools and communities within the UK.
Churchmarketplace, the Catholic Church's national purchasing platform, has launched an innovative water services framework to provide cost-effective and environmentally sustainable water solutions to Catholic communities across England.
Established in 2010, Churchmarketplace leverages the purchasing power of the Catholic Church in England and Wales to deliver best value on a wide range of goods and services.
Its water services framework, launched this month, is designed to drive value, reduce water consumption, and support social value projects in partnership with the Catholic Church. This marks another significant milestone in Churchmarketplace’s mission to align its procurement strategy to its sustainability principles.
Jenny Booth, Director at Churchmarketplace, said: “We welcome Wodr and Business Stream to complete the utilities offering within the Churchmarketplace service. They will be delivering the water procurement solution nationally across our Catholic organisations.”
To create the framework, Churchmarketplace collaborated with specialist water consultancy Wodr to lead a rigorous tender process to identify a sustainably focused partner to be the preferred water retailer, ultimately selecting Business Stream.
With benefits such as water efficiency packs, site water audits and leak detection support, joining the framework will deliver instant sustainable savings to Catholic organisations.
Educational materials on water use will also be created for sustainability-focused curriculum studies, supporting the ‘Care for our Common Home’ campaign, with the programme teaching children about the importance of saving water in the context of the climate crisis.
The framework has already awarded a quarter of a million-pound contract to Business Stream to support several Catholic Academies in the Archdiocese of Birmingham.
Mark Edwards, Director at Wodr, said: “This is a fantastic collaboration to be involved in with so many important elements all designed to make a real difference to the Catholic community within the UK.”
Tom Abel, Director of Sales at Business Stream, said: “As a water retailer who is passionate about the environment, the partnership with Churchmarketplace and Wodr aligns perfectly with our sustainability objectives. We’re looking forward to working together to help other organisations on the framework to achieve their sustainability goals.”